The present system relates generally to cardiac rhythm management systems and more particularly to a system reducing the number of variables associated with the maximum pacing rate.
Cardiac rhythm management systems provide therapy to a patient""s heart to correct various forms of arrhythmias, such as tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias. One type of these systems includes an implantable cardiac rhythm management (xe2x80x9cCRMxe2x80x9d) device and a programmer for programming the CRM device. As the understanding of various types of arrhythmias has grown since the inception of CRM devices over two decades ago, so has the need to provide a greater variety of therapies with the CRM device. This greater variety of therapies allows a physician to closely tailor the therapy provided by the device to the specific needs of the patient by programming various parameters of the CRM device. However, the number of programmable variables in CRM devices has grown along with the number and complexity of therapies. Accordingly, the physician must use the programmer to program numerous parameters of the CRM device to achieve the desired therapy. When it is decided that a certain therapy should be altered, a corresponding programmable parameter is changed. The medical care provider must change this programmable parameter and all related parameters. In some programmers, different parameters are displayed and accessible on different screens of the programmer. Accordingly, the level of complexity and knowledge of the CRM device and the programmer, which the medical care provider must understand when changing any programmable parameter so that all related parameters are appropriately changed, has increased with recent CRM devices. Consequently, there is a need in the field of CRM systems to simplify the programming of the CRM device by reducing the number of programmable variables.
The present system provides, among other things, a cardiac rhythm management system including techniques for reducing the number of programmable parameters associated with a single variable. In one embodiment, a plurality of maximum pacing rates are combined into a single maximum pacing rate parameter. This maximum pacing rate parameter is used by different therapy processes. In another embodiment, the system includes setting a single maximum pacing rate with offsets therefrom for select pacing features.
In another embodiment, the system includes a method of programming a cardiac rhythm management device with a single maximum pacing rate for a plurality of therapies.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent on reading the following detailed description of the invention and viewing the drawings that form a part thereof.